New Zealand blog: heading to Te Papa
Saturday, 14 Mar, 2011
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Travelmole’s Graham McKenzie discovers Wellington…
Whatever mode of transport you use to get to Wellington there is no getting away from the fact that it’s hilly. If you come by plane or boat you will soon realise that it is also windy…one of Wellington’s more famous attributes. Wellington is a very interesting place with lots of small nooks and crannies, public parks, free museums and, because of the hills, a cable car within the city.
One of the things about New Zealand is that a lot of its history is very recent. Thousands of British people who immigrated to the land of the white cloud throughout the twentieth century have formed much of the culture. The food, the names, the legal and educational structure. And, of course, they drive on the left.
The Te Papa museum at the waterfront is an excellent place to investigate not only the heritage but also the, still to this day, shocking events of the destruction of the Rainbow Warrior by the French secret service which did not like New Zealand’s increasingly anti-nuclear stance.
Here you also learn about how the nation was shocked by the infamous murder of a mother by two teenage girls in 1954.
The drinking and licensing laws, which have been the subject of constant debate for most of the last 100 years, are also covered with the feeling that they are one small step away from a trip back to the fifties.
The museum is free and has also an eye on not just heritage but also art and culture. Currently a brilliant exhibition of photography from Brian Brake, the well-known Kiwi artisan, covering the last sixty years is on display.
What may come as a surprise to some tourists are the richness, depth and complexity of the native Maori culture. Here at Te Papa it is revealed in some detail and it is very noticeable virtually wherever you go in New Zealand with signage in both languages and constant references to the relevance of historic Maori people and places.
All of this information makes the reality that the nation has a legacy that goes way beyond the relevantly recent introduction of Europeans so much more obvious.
Talking of modern culture, which we weren’t, the coffee café revolution has certainly hit Wellington and New Zealand in a big way.
Almost on every street corner sits a quirky, individual café that will serve not just a very good range of coffees and teas but also some decent food.
Not haute cuisine but decent cakes, eggs on toast (still poor bread despite what my Kiwi critics have said), soups and flans. Most of this, as far I could determine, cooked fresh on the premises. What you won’t see a lot of are the uber coffee brands such as Costa and Starbucks.
Rumour has it that they are considering pulling out of New Zealand as the financial performance of both has been less than stellar. Interesting, this, as this will often be the result of a local culture being stronger than the global brand and from my point of view more power to the people. I don’t like clone destinations.
So in New Zealand it’s not so much skinny latte but flat white… bit like the bread.
To learn more about New Zealand and be certified for your knowledge, you can take Tourism New Zealand’s online training modules by clicking here
For free resources and details on New Zealand places and product, go here
Dinah
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